Does Wall Street Have Your Best Interest in Mind?

There has been increased attention paid to the financial brokerage industry with regard to a non-fiduciary mindset on Wall Street.

With this regard, there is movement for anyone working with an individual’s retirement plan to act as a fiduciary. This means the adviser must only recommend what is in the best interest of the client.

This regulation become effective April, 2017. There have been discussions on delaying or eliminating this regulation.

Regardless of the outcome insist that anyone working on your retirement plan agree in writing to act as a fiduciary for you.

Be careful when looking for retirement plan investments. Many investors are continually looking for the answer to one question. “How can I beat the market?” Not only is it a matter of increased return, but bragging right to their friends on how much money their broker makes them. These same braggers neglect to tell when their broker loses their money.

Wall Street is more than happy to accommodate this greed.

It is much like gamblers at a casino, you never hear about the losses only the wins. Investors are continually moving to the hot broker. As I call it musical brokers. A past article in the New York Times brings this out in the open again. This is what most of us suspected.

Not long ago, the Goldman Sachs executive Greg Smith resigned his job by writing a scathing op-ed in the New York Times. In that column, written as an exit letter, he accuses top management of encouraging predatory sales practices that actively hurt customers:

“I attend derivatives sales meetings where not one single minute is spent asking questions about how we can help clients. It’s purely about how we can make the most possible money off of them.”

While he insists that he’s seen no behavior that’s actually illegal, he explains that:

“People push the envelope and pitch lucrative and complicated products to clients even if they are not the simplest investments or the ones most directly aligned with the client’s goals? Absolutely. Every day, in fact.”

There continues to be other examples of the Wall Street bullies taking advantage of investors of all types. Having a big name does not prevent deceit.

To be a successful investor find a academically proven scientific strategy to investing and remain disciplined to it. Three simple rules will help you succeed. Own equities……globally diversify………rebalance.